RFI__External_Catering_Services_for_Angkor_Sentinel_2027_(AS27) V2 .docx

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

ANGKOR SENTINEL 2027 (AS27)

CAMBODIA

Document Type: Request for Information (RFI)

Subject: Expeditionary Catering Services for Angkor Sentinel 2027 (AS27)

RFI Number: AS27-RFI-CATERING-001

Release Date: 14 September 2026

Response Deadline: 30 September 2026 (Hawaii Time 5PM)

DISCLAIMER

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. The Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense.

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

The Contracting Office is seeking information from qualified, experienced, and capable food service vendors to provide expeditionary catering services. The purpose of this RFI is to identify market interest, capabilities, and a structured cost estimate for providing daily meal support to a joint force of United States and Cambodian military personnel.

1.1 Key Parameters

Target Population: Approximately 200 Personnel total, consisting of:

100 United States (US) Army Soldiers 100 Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Soldiers Location: Field environment in Cambodia (in vincinity of Multinational Peacekeeping Force Training Center (ភូមិផ្គង់, ផ្លូវលេខ ៤៤, គីឡូម៉ែត្រ ៨, Krong Chbar Mon, Cambodia).

Facility Status: NO CATERING FACILITY EXISTS.

Contractor Requirement: The contractor must be 100% self-sufficient, providing all mobile food preparation containers, cold storage/refrigeration, power generation, potable water, and waste management.

2. SCOPE of WORK & OPERATIONAL STANDARDS The contractor shall provide all management, personnel, tools, supplies, cooking equipment, transport vehicles, utilities, and raw food ingredients necessary to prepare, deliver, and distribute three (3) meals per day (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).

Services must be performed to the United States Meal and Sanitary standards Vendor is responsible for setting up buffet style serving areas, all cutleries, chopsticks, plates, return/collection area for soldiers to pick up trays for their meals and drop off after eating.

2.1 Meal Service Style

Meals will be requested as either Buffet Style or Grab-and-Go Bento Style depending on the training schedule. Vendors must have the flexibility to switch styles with 24 hours' notice as coordinated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

Buffet Style: Served in the Mess Hall. The contractor must establish quick and efficient serving lines capable of serving approximately 150 patrons every 30 minutes.

Bento Style: Delivered in sturdy, insulated, single-use containers (with compartments separating food items) to prevent tearing or leaking during field transport.

2.2 Dietary & Menu Standards

Menus must be high-quality, nutritionally balanced, and tailored to the joint force. To accommodate cultural and religious requirements, menus must incorporate the following options:

Western Cuisine: Designed to meet standard US military feeding standards.

Local Cambodian/Cultural Cuisine: Adapted for Cambodian soldiers.

Halal Option: At least one hot main selection for breakfast, lunch, and dinner must be Halal-certified.

Vegetarian Option: Available at every meal, utilizing non-meat protein substitutes (no meat, fish, or poultry).

Daily Nutritional Target (3,000 Calories) Consistent with USDA MyPlate plans for highly active military personnel (ages 18-above), the daily menu must provide a minimum of 3,000 calories per day, distributed across the three meals.

Specific Meal Content Requirements Breakfast: Minimum of two (2) hot main selections (one meat/Halal, one local Cambodian option), one (1) vegetarian selection, one (1) egg selection, two (2) grain selections (e.g., oatmeal, grits, or local equivalent rice porridge), two (2) servings of breads/pastries, a variety of fresh fruit and juices, hot coffee, tea, and milk (chocolate or whole).

Lunch & Dinner: Minimum of two (2) hot main selections (one meat/Halal, one local Cambodian option), one (1) vegetarian selection, two (2) vegetable selections, two (2) starch/side selections, breads/rolls, salad, and dessert. Beverages must include hot coffee, tea, and at least one (1) non-caffeinated cold drink option.

Hydration: The contractor must provide a minimum of 0.5 Liters of bottled or approved potable water per person per meal.

3. LOGISTICAL & INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS

Since no government facilities are available, responders must outline their plan to deploy, operate, and maintain the following infrastructure:

3.1 Cooking & Storage Facilities

Mobile Kitchens: Deployment of containerized commercial kitchens or mobile cooking trailers suitable for preparing high-volume meals in a tropical field environment.

Cold Storage (Reefers): Temperature-controlled refrigeration and freezer containers on-site to store meat, dairy, and fresh produce.

Control Standards: Cold storage must be maintained at 41°F (5°C) or lower; frozen storage must be maintained at 0°F (-18°C) or lower.

3.2 Power Generation & Electrical Standards

The contractor is responsible for providing all power requirements, generators, and fuel.

Electrical Safety: All electrical installations must adhere to the Cambodia Electrical Standards.

Grounding: All metal boxes, generators, reefers, and appliances must be grounded to a resistance of no greater than 10 ohms using a grounding rod of at least 2.5 meters.

Safety Devices: If Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) are unavailable in-country, Residual Current Disruptors (RCDs) rated to trip at no more than 5 milliamps must be used. All wet-location connections must use NEMA 3R waterproof enclosures.

3.3 Water & Environmental Management

Potable Water Supply: All water used for cooking, beverage preparation, and cleaning must come from a source approved by the US Army VETCORPS.

Grey & Grease Water Removal: The contractor must capture and legally dispose of all grey water and kitchen grease trap residue in accordance with host nation (Cambodian) environmental laws.

Waste Management: The contractor must provide trash cans and heavy-duty bags, clear trash from dining areas three times daily after each meal, and arrange for disposal off-site.

3.4 Sanitation & Hygiene

Cleaning Program: Dining and food-contact areas must undergo deep sanitization three times daily using approved chemical agents (e.g., Chlorine at 100-150 ppm or Quaternary Ammonium at 200 ppm).

Medical Screening: All kitchen and serving personnel must be medically screened, free of contagious diseases, and certified in food safety (e.g., ServSafe or local equivalent).

4. VENDOR INFORMATION REQUESTED

Interested vendors are requested to submit a response covering the following four areas:

Part A: Corporate Capability & Experience A brief overview of the company, including experience in expeditionary/military field catering.

Experience operating in Cambodia or similar remote environments in Southeast Asia.

List of current food safety certifications (e.g., HACCP, GMP, ServSafe).

Part B: Technical & Logistical Approach Equipment Plan: Describe the type, quantity, and footprint of the mobile kitchens, reefer containers, dining tents, and generator units you would deploy.

Water & Utilities Plan: Describe how your company intends to secure US VETCORPS-approved potable water and dispose of grey/grease water in Cambodia.

Supply Chain Resiliency: Describe how fresh ingredients (especially Halal and Western items) will be sourced, transported, and preserved to prevent spoilage.

Food & Water Risk Assessment (FWRA): Outline your plan to achieve a "Moderate" or lower residual risk rating under US military veterinary inspections within the required timelines.

Part C: Quality Control & Safety Program Describe your standard operating procedures for temperature control (hot holding at / , cold holding at / ).

Outline your sanitation training programs for local national food handlers.

Part D: Pricing & Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) Using the templates provided in Section 5, vendors are requested to provide indicative pricing. This pricing will be used strictly for market research and budgetary planning for AS27.

5. COST BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (CBS) TEMPLATE

To ensure standardized evaluation, please complete the tables below. Costs should be divided between Direct Meal Costs (Food Only) and Operations, Maintenance, & Infrastructure Costs (O&M) as per the PWS structure.

All prices must be submitted in United States Dollars (USD).

Table 5.1: Direct Meal Costs (Price Per Meal / Per PAX) Provide the unit rate for the preparation, delivery, and serving of the food itself, inclusive of water (0.5L per meal).

Table 5.2: Operations, Maintenance (O&M), & Infrastructure Costs Provide flat-rate pricing for deploying, maintaining, and demobilizing the physical footprint required to support this expeditionary effort.

Table 5.3: Illustrative Total Cost Scenario (30-Day Joint Exercise) For comparison purposes, please calculate the total projected cost for a hypothetical 15-day exercise serving 100 US soldiers (Western menu) and 100 Cambodian soldiers (Local menu) with a standard split of 70% Buffet Style and 30% Bento Style meals.

6. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Interested vendors must submit their responses electronically.

Respondents shall not be obligated to provide the services described herein, and it is understood by the United States Government that if any price estimates are provided as a result of this request, they are “best” estimates only.

Interested vendors must submit their responses electronically.

Format: Microsoft Word, PDF, or Excel (for the pricing tables).

Language: Spoken and written responses must be in English.

Submission Address: Send to the 413th Contracting Support Brigade at: uchechukwu.mbawuike.mil@army.mil

Point of Contact: MAJ Jared & SSG Mbawuike Responses must be received no later than the deadline listed at the top of this document. Questions regarding this RFI may be submitted via email no later than 25 September 2026 The Government will not award a contract based upon responses to this announcement. The Government shall not reimburse or pay any costs for preparing or submitting information in response to this notice.